The massive computing effort necessary for this research is provided by a Debian GNU / Linux cluster of 1342 nodes called ATLAS. Using 10+ TB RAM, approximately 1.3 PB storage and a special network able to transfer almost 4 days worth of DVD movies each second, the cluster achieves a measured performance of 32.8 TFlops. This performance places the ATLAS Debian GNU / Linux supercomputer at 4th place in Germany, 11th in Europe and 34th worldwide, at a cost of EUR 1.8m (~ US$ 2.8m).

The ATLAS Debian GNU / Linux cluster was designed, built and has been managed by Dr Henning Fehrmann and Dr Carsten Aulbert, who have been using Debian GNU / Linux for years.

ATLAS has smaller brother and sister systems in Potsdam, Germany: “Merlin” (1.3 Tflops) and “Morgane” (6 TFlops) — also running Debian GNU / Linux and managed by Dr. Steffen Grunewald for many years; “the experience with them had been very, very good”, according to Dr. Aulbert.